Sunday, August 9, 2009

My Altruism Knows No Bounds

I have never met Susan, the matriarch of Trout Towers, but I know that she's a woman of exceptional intelligence. And I know this because she has pioneered the concept of eating cake in celebration of someone else's birthday--even if that someone else isn't there to share the cake. She may have even mentioned that she would be pleased if people sent her videos of them eating cake on her birthday.

Well. God knows I need no excuse to eat cake. But Susan just handed me one, because yesterday was her birthday. My first thought when she mentioned her impending Day of Birth was that we should all eat cake for her (and ourselves, of course--let's be honest here). But I had no cake in the house. I did not want to make a cake, because I dislike baking. Even for Susan, who I'm sure is a lovely person and totally worth the effort, I would not bake.

And then a miracle happened.

A. wandered into the kitchen when I was making dinner and started flipping through a cookbook, remarking that we hadn't had a home-made dessert in awhile. He was thinking he might make Crepes Suzette. I told him I didn't want anything but cake, because I can be a huge pain in the ass sometimes. Luckily, he indulged me and made one of those really easy chocolate cakes where you pour boiling water on the batter and the cake rises to the top while baking, with a chocolate syrup on the bottom. YUM.

I ate it, of course. And while I do not have a video documenting the eating of said cake, I did take a picture. Not of me eating it, actually, but that's my thumb in there. My exploding thumb, which is almost but not quite back to normal.

The sacrifices I make for others . . .

9 comments:

Susan said...

That looks delicious! Thank you so much for celebrating my birthday properly. You are truly selfless.

And now, SINCE I STILL HAVE HAD NO CAKE, I will go look up that recipe.

Chiot's Run said...

MM, I love that kind of cake as well. My mom makes it often and calls in hot fudge pudding cake.

Mayberry Magpie said...

No recipe?! I've never heard of a chocolate cake made with boiling water and I really, really, must learn of this.

andrea said...

That is freakin' HILARIOUS

I hope you won't mind if I join you on your altruistic path some days

and the cake sounds most excellent!

rls said...

Today is the birthday of three of my friends, so I think I will go eat some cake for them. Thanks for making me aware of this lovely tradition!

me again said...

I make that cake too! There is also a non-chocolate variation made with brown sugar that has a real caramel taste to it. My MIL always calls it "Tory Pudding with Liberal Sauce" -- a political reference here in Canada :-)

If anyone wants the recipe(s), I'd be happy to share :-)

==Lennie==

(My word verification is "puncess" ... I am deeply disappointed I have not peppered my post with puns, so I could indeed be a Puncess........)

moi said...

Yeah A.! How very helpful...

FinnyKnits said...

I like this idea. Of eating cake in celebration of other people's birthdays.

I also like the idea of a cake made by pouring boiling water on it. Fun! Dangerous! Mysterious!

Also, I'm giving you some time to beg another cake from A. My birthday is on 8/29.

Go nuts in my honor :)

sweetbird said...

I like this tradition of eating cake on everybody elses birthday. I should start doing this too.